We have all heard about how this year has been quite an invigorating one with the many different changes happening around the world (epidemic outbreak, the possibility of a war, Australian bushfires etc). As most of us were out either to celebrate Chinese New Year or to relax over the long weekend, we were shocked by the news of the legendary NBA player, Kobe Bryant’s passing. This tragedy affected him, his young daughter and 7 other individuals. Many around the world sent their condolences to the victims' families and gave tribute to this legend.
You can't NOT think of the iconic 'mamba mentality' Kobe embraced both on and off the court that has inspired many. Many leaders and athletes admired this mentality and try to incorporate it in their daily lives.
So what is this Mamba Mentality and why is it admirable?
"Mamba mentality is all about focusing on the process and trusting in the hard work when it matters most. It’s the ultimate mantra for the competitive spirit.”
It is a mindset of remaining fierce in competition and a constant journey to bettering yourself in comparison to your past. To keep going, to keep pushing and to fight through the challenges we are thrown is key to being alive in this VUCA world.
Business leaders and team members would need to understand that there needs to be high motivation and the ability to adapt to whatever changes that occur in the organisation. These two can be improved with a shift in mindset – How Can We (Leaders) Become Influencers Of The Mamba Mentality Within Our Team?
Firstly, We, leaders, need to adopt the Mamba Mentality through taking on assignments or projects that may generate discomfort for ourselves, in such a manner, we become practitioners of what we preach. Once we are able to overcome the inertia to tackle the discomfort, we are now in the position to help influence our team to take on discomfort by its horns.
Secondly, we need to understand our team members' change threshold or tolerance (i.e. the amount of change that one can adapt to), This allows for leaders to push their team members to a point that is near their change threshold to create just enough of discomfort for change to happen. This is, in turn, would improve the team members’ ability to adapt and motivates them to be better.
Thirdly, implement Mamba stretch assignments with appropriate tracking and measurements in place to enable team members to feel encouraged even in the face of discomfort. Furthermore, the stretch assignments could bring the best out of people.
Through the adoption of the mentality, the business leaders are able to influence the team members to have a stronger competitive spirit. By not being thrown off by the changes implemented in the organisation, the individual chooses to become a better iteration of themselves and to continue working, they are positioning themselves for better opportunities in life.